Greek hand pies

Before I go down a rabbit hole of Hand Pies, please let me make 1 thing clear: Eating ANY food is better than eating NO food. That being said, this article is most helpful to those who choose to eat and are interested in making even better - or just different - food choices than they are currently making. If you choose to skip meals more often than not, please consider investing in your well-being by prioritizing your whole self. You can find spectacular support by making time to meet with a professional nutritionist.

One of the ways most people fall to the wayside of healthy, balanced foods is when they are out of time or out of energy. It is so easy to get in a rut of ordering takeout, choosing packaged meals, and ultimately eating high sodium, high fat, low nutrition foods. After all, it’s easy, delicious, and convenient! These moments when life gets in the way are exactly why I prioritize homemade freezer meals. When I get home late from work or when I’m tired after a trip, the last thing I want to do is cook a whole meal. Instead of grabbing greasy takeout or eating a bag of Tortilla Chips, I turn to my #1 favorite freezer meal: Greek Hand Pies.

Hand Pies can be stuffed with literally anything. They can be sweet, savory, or even a mix of both. In fact, back in the old days, it was not uncommon to stuff a Hand Pie with savory meat and vegetables on one side and sweetened fruits on the other side. A 3 course meal that fits in the palm of your hand! How convenient: it’s portable, there’s no packaging waste, it’s nutritious, it fills you up, and best of all - it’s delicious! Now that we are all in understanding of the culinary gift that is Hand Pies, let me tell you why I love this Greek Hand Pie recipe…

#1. It’s a Hand Pie. See above paragraph to understand why Hand Pies are great.

#2. It’s jam-packed with vegetables.

#3. All the vegetables are accessible year-round in grocery stores or in your garden.

#4. Cheese.

#5. They can be can be made with or without meat.

#6. Versatile enough to fit your dietary needs, your taste buds, or availability of ingredients.

#7. The filling is really good by itself or added to pasta, frittatas, or rice.

#8. Freezes well.

#9. Can be a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack depending on their size and quantity eaten.

#10. They are fun to make and quite forgiving once baked.

Now for the fun part: the recipe. These have been a staple in my freezer for the past decade and I sure hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Remember to have fun with them and make them how you like them. The best food is the food you eat!

GREEK HAND PIES

Ingredients:

2 lb Pizza Dough (homemade or store bought)

1 small Onion

2 cloves Garlic

20 oz Spinach (frozen or fresh)

1/4 Cup Parsley

1/4 Cup Mint

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cup Feta Cheese

3 Tablespoon Parmesan

OPTIONAL: 1-2 lb Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Chickpeas, etc.

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Flour for working the Pizza Dough

Directions:

Start by prepping your ingredients. Wash any produce if need be. If using frozen ingredients (like Spinach or Pizza Dough) thaw them out. Squeeze out the excess moisture from any frozen vegetables you may be using. Chop up the Onion, Garlic, Parsley, Mint, and Feta. Grate the Parmesan if it’s not already. If including meat: trim, chop, and season so it has time to rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then cook the meat so it has time to cool off.
Once all the ingredients are prepped the adventure can begin. We will start with the filling. Heat about 1-2 T EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the Onions and cook for a few minutes until soft. Add the Garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the hot burner unless you are using fresh Spinach in which case stir it in so it can wilt down before turning off the heat.
In a large bowl mix together the Spinach, Onion, Garlic, Parsley, Mint, Nutmeg, Salt and Pepper. Mix in the Eggs, then fold in the Feta and Parmesan. If using Meat or Beans mix those in. Place the bowl in the fridge.
Divide the Pizza Dough into 6-12 pieces, or any size in between. This is your preference 100%. I typically make 8 if that helps.
Dust a clean, dry surface with some flour and roll or press the Dough pieces into flat circles. You want them about 1/8 inch thick so they are pliable but don’t tear too easily. If you’re new to working with Dough and getting frustrated that it keeps shrinking back to a smaller size, don’t fret. A rolling pin may help but you can also use your hands to gently stretch the dough from the inside out being careful not to tear it. If you give up and the dough is thicker than you’d prefer I guarantee the Hand Pies will still be delicious. *This step is easiest with white Pizza Dough but feel free to use whole wheat or any kind you like.
Once the Dough is rolled into discs you can get your baking station ready. You will want to pre-heat your oven to 400*F, move the rack to the middle or 1 above and 1 below middle (if using 2 sheets), and grab 1 or 2 baking sheets that will fit all the Hand Pies with about 1 inch space around each one. Line with parchment paper if using metal baking sheets.
Grab the bowl of filling from the fridge. Scoop filling into each Dough circle so that it fills about 1/3 of the circle. Leave about 1/4 inch room on the edge so you can seal it shut. Fold the empty side of the Dough over the filling and seal the edges together using a fork, or roll the edges together. This part is a little bit messy but that’s okay. You will likely have leftover filling, especially if you added meat or beans. I suggest cooking it up in a skillet (to cook the egg) and adding it to rice or pasta, or add more egg to make a frittata.
Repeat with the remaining Hand Pies, placing them all on a baking sheet when done. Brush the tops of each with EVOO. If using 1 sheet, bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. If using 2 sheets, bake for 15 minutes then rotate the sheets in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool a bit before eating. You will find that any unsealed edges or seams have leaked which may be discouraging, but the filling will solidify once cooled and you won’t miss out on a single bite.
If planning to freeze these Hand Pies, let cool completely to room temperature then wrap in parchment paper and put in a sealable container/bag in the freezer. You can reheat from frozen or thaw out first. Either way, pop in the microwave for a couple minutes at a time until warmed through or put in the oven at 350*F for up to 30 minutes or until hot in the middle.

Chipped steak